ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



13 



gelded sheep also should have, with 100 lbs. of chopped straw (Hacksel), 18 lbs. of 

 corn-meal and 1 lb. of salt. In most sheep-folds they reckon 100 to 150 lbs. of hay- 

 to a head for winter fodder," (beside other fodder, to be supplied by straw or husk- 

 fruit.) 



Veit also gives similar statements. He says, Vol. I. p. 157, " One shepherd can 

 take care of 200 to 300 full grown ewes with their lambs, or 4 to 600 gelt sheep, with 

 the foddering of the same with hay and straw. But if it consists in part of roots 

 and Imob-plants, which must be cleaned and made finer, he needs for such a 

 number of sheep one assistant The size of a sheep-fold depends on the pas- 

 ture for them, its condition, and on the species of sheep. In inclosed or large, 

 connected, wholesome pasture, one shepherd with a well-trained dog, can keep 500 

 to 700 sheep, easier than he could keep 200 or 300 head on narrow ways and 

 divided pastures, between unfenced cultivated fields and meadows, or in pastures 

 with many places endangering the sheep." 



In Vol. II. p. 481, he says, " The need of fodder is proportioned to the live-weight 

 of the sheep, and two and a half pounds of the value of hay is required daily 

 for every 100 lbs. live-weight, to keep the animal in a profitable state. Hence tlie 

 following amount of fodder is required: — 



Need of Fodder, i Of which. 



On p. 490, he observes : " One person will wash clean in one hour 5 to 6 full- 

 grown merinos, and 6 to 7 coarse German sheep ; therefore, in a day of 9 hours, of 

 the first kind 45 tq 54, and of the latter from 54 to 63 head. In shearing, on an aver- 

 age, one person without particular skill will shear of merinos in a day : of lambs, 35 ; 

 yearlings, 30 ; full-grown, 20 to 25." 



Burger's estimate for shearing is not as high as Veit's, as he says, " It is esti- 

 mated that a practised man can shear daily 20 common or 15 merino ewes, and 

 half as many full-grown rams or wethers." 



Petri's valuable work, " The keeping, care, and breeding of Sheep," (Die War- 

 tung, Pflege und Zucht der Schafer,) a portion of a German Farmer's Encyclopedia, 

 to which Burger refers above, contains much information on the subject of sheep. 

 As to the value of the different kinds of fodder, he enumerates not less than 252 

 plants which sheep seek out and eat, also 39 others which are injurious to them. 

 The capacity of nutriment of various kinds of fodder for sheep, he gives in the fol- 

 ing table of equivalents : — 



Nutritions matter. 



100 lbs. of aromatic meadow hay 100 lbs. of which contain 50 lbs. 



are equal to 90 

 90 

 90 

 360 

 500 

 ISO 

 200 

 200 

 200 

 200 

 190 

 200 

 190 

 300 

 180 

 200 

 200 

 200 



55f 



55f 



55 i- 



14 



10 



27-1 



25 



25 



25 



25 



2QS 



25 



26,^ 



25 

 25 

 25 



